Words to the Tambov flock (1861-1863)

Contents 1. Speech at the naming of the Bishop of Tambov (Will I be able to live up to my hopes? May the Lord give grace and the gift of the Spirit!) 2. To the students of the Tambov Institute for Noble Maidens, after the memorial service for the most pious Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, on the fortieth day (What could they hear from the lips of the dying empress, your mother) 3. To the newly elected public figures (Do you want to create a lasting good for the people - kindle the spirit of Christianity in it) 4. At the funeral service of General V. A. Kolobov (You fought a good deed) 5. At the funeral service of Mr. Postmaster P. P. Nikolsky (No life remains without a trace) 6. Speech to the soldiers who have just been trained and are leaving for their destination (We entrust you to the protection and intercession of the Lady Theotokos!) 7. At the funeral service of the merchant P.V. Kozlova (At this hour we are students, and you are a teacher) 8. For the consecration of the water supply system in the city of Murom, on the day of the crowning of Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich (Natural water and spiritual water) 9. For the burial of the abbess of the Vladimir nunnery Seraphim (Death reminds us that we are not at home) 10. For the monastic tonsure of the father of the archpriest of the city of Shatsk, named Herman in monasticism and destined to be the archimandrite of the Cherniev monastery (The essence of monasticism is to be one with the One God incessantly) 11. For the choice of members of the zemstvo, on the day meeting of the Bogolyubskaya Icon (Organization of zemstvo orders should be in the Christian spirit) 12. On the day of the name of the heir to Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich (Three evils are real, three evils are expected, and where can we expect salvation from them) 13. Before the memorial service for the heir to Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich (Sorrowful, brothers, deeply sorrowful!) 14. Before reading the manifesto on the appointment of a new heir, the now deceased Alexander Alexandrovich (The Tsar rules the kingdom. He himself is governed by the heart by which the Lord rules) 15. Farewell to the Vladimir flock (What will happen ahead, who will determine? Save yourself in the Lord!) 1. Speech at the naming of Bishop of Tambov (Will I be able to live up to my hopes? May the Lord give grace and the gift of the Spirit!) Your Holiness Archpastors and Fathers! I thank and accept, and not at all contrary to the verb. What else could he say to a matter already decided by the council of your Holiness and approved by the highest will? Do not think, however, that when I utter these words, I am hiding under them the illness of self-confidence and arrogance... No. I know my powerlessness, I know the height and burden of the service entrusted to me; but I also know that it is unsafe to interfere with one’s own plans in the arrangement of the path of life, especially contrary to the will of God, visible by faith in the determination of the church and the ruling authorities. Therefore, in the closeness of both, with these words I keep one thing in my mind and heart: God’s will be done! The Lord knows my weaknesses and, nevertheless, He allowed the election and confirmation to take place. For what? Known to Him alone; but there is hope that Nachny will do it. Such confidence only calms a troubled conscience. For this “good”, according to the Apostle (1 Tim. 3:1), “work” (bishopric) from a distance may be desirable, but when you have to come face to face with it, it strikes you with bone-crushing fear. And it involuntarily escapes from the chest: God’s will be done! Frequent and unexpected changes in my ministry, both at the beginning, and especially recently, have taught me to be silently obedient to any purpose, like a ball rolling back and forth without a crack, in the direction of the blows given to it. And God did not abandon His help. Let now the uncertainty of a new future position and ministry be more than confusing. But just as in the future everything will be ruled by the same right hand, which mercifully guarded in the past, then with devotion, throwing myself in the hand of the Living God, I reliably rest in His holy will. So, be the will of God and blessed be the name of God, who saves us, and the message of destinies! These terrible thoughts, however, do not in the least detract from the feelings of gratitude to you, the God-chosen primates of our Holy Church, for the fact that, condescendingly looking at my unworthiness, you deigned to include me among those serving in the highest service in this Church. I do not hide the fact that it would not be alien to the secret desires of my heart if a place fell to my lot where I could freely indulge in pursuits of my heart or, if it is no longer possible to avoid this lot, at least given the opportunity to become accustomed to the affairs of pastoral service under someone’s experienced guidance. But when, thinking about me more than I am, you show me a very wide field for activity, of course, in the hope that I will bear much fruit for the salvation of myself and others, then I cannot remember this undeserved trust without gratitude. Can I just justify your hopes, and even more so the expectations and mandatory requirements of the Church? Will knowledge, prudence, and art be enough to both guide those being saved and lead the order of affairs of external administration? There is a desire to act for the good; If only things would correspond to this desire! The Lord will give grace and the gift of the spirit; but the spirit can also be extinguished by inaction or incorrect action. Let this not happen, I filially ask you, add to your good wishes, of which I have no doubt, a prayer to the Lord, so that the grace He bestows will not be in vain in me, and with your advice teach me how to warm up the gift that has to be communicated to me by the laying on of your hands - to the praise of all of us on the Day of Christ. 2. To the pupils of the Tambov Institute for Noble Maidens, after the memorial service for the most pious empress, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, on the fortieth day (What could they hear from the lips of the dying empress, your mother) Listen, children! I want to say one or two words to you on this occasion, which is so sad for your heart. Your high patroness and trustee, your mother, has gone to the Lord. You did not have the consolation of being at her deathbed and hearing from her closing lips her last word, with which those who depart usually express their will and give their covenants to those close to them who remain here. You were close to your departed mother, the empress, just as she lived and lives constantly in your hearts; and it would not be alien to her to say a word to you, and it would not be undesirable for you to listen to it. It is no longer possible for this to happen. But let's try to make up for this damage mentally. Imagine yourself standing at the deathbed of the departing empress, and I will take the floor and, as if in her language, I will pronounce to you on her behalf her last will. We know her spirit... Based on it, we will not be mistaken if we put into her mouth the following speech to you: “Children! I'm leaving. My protective actions will no longer concern you and the breath of my love will no longer warm and enliven your hearts. But I won't leave you orphans. You will be received and warmed by another heart that is no less wide and no less rich in love. As you were towards me, be so towards my successor. Just as you entered into my spirit and intentions, enter into her spirit and intentions and show yourself unquestioningly submissive to her maternal orders about you and to all educational orders in general - old and new. I am leaving and must appear before the terrible Throne of Judge. According to my strength, I tried not to violate the commandments of God, but, as a person, I sinned a lot and I admit my guilt in the face of God’s truth. I do not, however, despair of my salvation, but, falling in tears of repentance to the Lord the Savior, I hope to be pardoned, for which I pray to His boundless goodness, offering Him the Most Pure Lady Theotokos, my Guardian Angel and all the saints, as prayer books. I ask for your prayers too. Your childish cry will surely help a lot in bringing you to the mercy of strict justice. If I find grace from God, my first prayer will be for you, children! May God help you to be what I always wanted you to be. All my life I carried you in my heart and set no limits to my care for you. I cannot say whether my cares were always crowned with success, whether everything was as good with you as I would like, but this was my constant desire. If anything escaped my attention, if there was an oversight somewhere, forgive me, for God’s sake. Although I have not seen you in person, nevertheless I take everything that is yours to myself and humbly ask you to forgive me generously if you consider me to be wrong in any way before you. And I forgive all of you for everything in which any of you turned out to be faulty in carrying out educational orders, just console me with the promise that this will not happen again. A few more and I’ll be gone. This is my will and my maternal testament to you: remain forever faithful to the spirit of your people and the requirements of your holy faith. Establishing and supporting your institutions, I had one thing in mind: to educate you as truly Russian and Orthodox. I don’t tell you: love your fatherland, for who doesn’t love it? But I cannot help but say: love him with true and enlightened love. There is blind love, carried away in good wishes by imprudent haste to impose everything on us indiscriminately... I point out to you the infallible leadership in this regard in Orthodoxy. Love Russia in the spirit of Orthodoxy - be zealous for its improvement in all respects, but without violating the peace of faith, without undermining its foundations and its value everywhere. In this, I will tell you in sorrow, hope lies in you alone. Many of us have already begun to veer towards crossroads. From alien sources they drink the muddy water of unbelief and become drunk with principles incompatible with our state structure and with the spirit of our people. If you follow in their footsteps, Russia will perish! May the Lord protect you from this misfortune! Give me the assurance that if the Lord wills to allow me from Heaven to turn my eyes upon you, I will always find you bearing the same spirit of holy faith and devotion to the throne that you have always distinguished yourself with - and I will depart with greater calm. In my concerns about arranging a life-saving course for you, this is what I consider necessary to remind you of! Here - in the establishment - you are just starting to live. The period of education will pass, and you will enter the broad field of public life, full of strength and hope. It is true that you are often transported there and from here by thoughts and desires. Do not dream too much and do not deceive yourself, preventing God’s determinations with arbitrary constructions of your fate, so that later reality, having dispelled dreams, does not strike your hearts with all the more sensitivity. Surrender yourself completely into the hands of God, who provides for us in a Fatherly manner, and be ready to accept graciously that His holy will pleases. I wish you all complete happiness; but I cannot extend this desire beyond the boundaries of God’s commands about you, much less in defiance of them. For He knows better than we do what is good for us, and He desires to bless us more strongly than we do, and what especially needs to be kept in mind, He does not limit His gaze to the present alone, but extends it to the entire future, redeeming the eternal with the temporal. When you leave the establishment, do not think that society will greet you with an open heart. No, it will meet you with testing suspicion in order to find out who you are and where the aspiration of your heart is directed. Then answer in the same way. Do not entrust yourself to anyone in anything and do not allow yourself to take any step, even with your heart, without the advice of your parents, educators and trustees, whose sincere love for you has already been so tangibly experienced by you. Here’s what I’ll offer you as a guide! You will encounter two paths - narrow and wide. Look at the end of both, indicated by the Lord Himself, and do not hesitate in choosing according to this instruction. You will be greeted by two spirits - the spirit of Christianity and the spirit of peace. Since you “have not received the spirit of this world, but the Spirit who is from God” (1 Cor. 2:12), then you are drawn by all your disposition after the latter and reject the former. This, of course, will not happen without a struggle. Prepare for it from now on and, when the time comes, enter into it trusting in God’s omnipotent grace. Perhaps everyone will leave you and not only the majority will be against you, but even the whole world, or, as they call it now, public opinion, which does not always stand for the truth, but often rebels against the Lord and His Christ. But take heart, for “there is greater in you than in the world” (1 John 4:4); and He will win... The Lord for Whom you will fight will win. Make the holy virgin martyrs your leaders in this: Catherine, Varvara, Anastasia, Fevronia and others - and look at them as models; for they too fought against public opinion at that time. They overcame and are now triumphant! One more word, which at another time I might not have told you... No one can escape the position in which I find myself at this hour. You too will lie down on your deathbed; then your eyes will be opened, and you will see a lot - not as it seemed to you in life... Do you want to have faithful protection from dangerous hobbies and attempts in life - “remember your last” (Sir. 7, 39), as the Wise One (Jesus, son of Sirach) advises. Among all the means that a person has in his hands to strengthen his character, there is nothing more powerful than mortal memory. This is the most influential and comprehensive teacher, suitable for the course of education, as at all times of life. What a pity that many come to know him even when they cannot take advantage of his lessons. I wish that you do not belong to this number. Don't be afraid to remember death. This will not poison your life, but on the contrary, it will distract you from the real, albeit sweetened, poison of life and teach you to find lasting consolations, such that will serve as a foretaste of endless bliss for you. Believe me it is true! Dying people don't lie. They are alone and can correctly assess the power of thoughts about the hour of death.” This is what you could hear from the lips of the dying Empress - your mother! I don’t find anything to add to this on my part, except for one sincere desire, so that this lesson is imprinted in your heart and becomes the guiding principle of your entire life. With my archpastoral word, I can assure you that here is written for you the most reliable and safe path of life, valuable in the eyes of God and man. Let me just remind you that your relationship with the late empress does not end with her death and these memorial services. You probably know that yourself. But do as you know. With your morning and evening prayers, always combine a short prayer for the repose of her soul like this: “Remember, Lord, the most pious Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.” This will be both comforting for her and edifying for you. Amen. 3. To newly elected public figures (If you want to create a lasting good for the people, kindle the spirit of Christianity in them) Glory to You, Lord, we will say it too! Your labors and restless thoughts are over, your desires have subsided, order has been established, all that remains is the desire for the fulfillment of what was expected... And you have now gathered in the church - some to offer gratitude for the end of your work and to convey to the Lord your hopes in the elections, others to ask for God's blessing for the beginning of new works and to sanctify with prayer your first steps on the path of service. May the Lord bless you through your prayer. As you have now done, do so throughout your ministry and in all your deeds. Especially when your thoughts are in two minds or circumstances are such that it is difficult to determine which side you should lean towards with your assistance, always turn to the Lord for admonition - and you will receive what you ask for... “For the Lord is near..., and He is the One who works in us to do what we will and to do what is truly good” (Phil. 4, 5, 2:13). You yourself will be perplexed how, during the hour of prayer, your thoughts will form and your heart will take the right side. Because it is not the mind that decides. You probably know that the Lord rules over everything and that no one can change His intentions. If He allows something, it is only the touching, and not the main thing, where He then directs what is allowed. There is a path of Divine Providence, or a program for the flow of events - both large and small - contemplated by the mind of God and carried out by His power. The whole work of rulers, as well as the dignity of government, consists in getting on this trail of God, on this path outlined by the thought of God. Only those actions are both fruitful and great that fall on this path, even if they do not stand out because of others - and this is true not only regarding wide-ranging actions, but also regarding small ones, relating to one person, family, clan, and not just an entire village or district. Having realized this, ask yourself how to get on this beneficial trail. And you will not find any other answer other than the following: surrender yourself and your ministry entirely into the hands of God, and then prayerfully fall to the Lord for admonition and strengthening every time you get down to business, or, even better, constantly contain this prayerful spirit and mood, and you will never be deprived of proper guidance. None of those who trust in God and live in Him with their hearts has ever been put to shame. Don't get carried away by appearances. Life grows intimately, and this is how everything life-giving is accomplished. Don’t be seduced by success, don’t be embarrassed by not immediately seeing success. The fruit of your labors may be set aside by the Lord outside of your ministry. Let him not be attributed to you, do not grieve: it is only here - in the same world this child will find his parent. But even then, not all cases are closed in such a way that it is impossible to guess where their source is. You just sow according to the instructions that form in your heart, sanctified by the thought of God and standing before God, and leave the fruits to the order of the Master of the whole world and the entire Universe. Even if they say: “I did it, but I didn’t do anything.” Then you will be justified. And even this is true: “God justifies, who condemns?” (Rom.8:33–34) I think there is no need to say that the main thing you should have is evidence of conscience. This you know; but I consider it not superfluous to add - a conscience enlightened by the word of God and strengthened by the grace of God and prayer. Conscience can always be confused by misinterpretation. Its faithful guide is the word of God. Clarify for yourself, according to his instructions, your business and your duty, and then act according to this, only managing not to distort matters in applying the principles to circumstances or in the direction of these latter, according to the principles accepted and destined. I think everyone does this. But here’s the thing: maybe not everyone does it, or not everyone does it with the proper persistence and effort. It is necessary to build a program for your actions in the spirit of Christianity and act in this same spirit in all circumstances. After all, you, like all the characters, are among the organizers of the people’s good. Good should belong to man by nature, but it does not. Why? Because he rebelled against God in the person of his forefathers and fell. The goodness of God restores him in the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Church, or through Christianity. He who has accepted the spirit of Christianity receives the right to external good and actually accepts internal good - he is restored spiritually within himself with the right to return what was lost externally, if it is good for him, and at the discretion of the Benefactor. This is how this law is expressed: “seek... first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). So, if you want to build the welfare of the people lastingly, kindle the spirit of Christianity in it and do not allow anything that could, at least in any way, extinguish and weaken it. Don't say, "It's none of our business." No, yours. You, Christians, are appointed to act among Christians and for their benefit as Christians. How will you act in such a situation without taking into account the spirit of Christianity?! Are your studies not capable of taking such a direction?! It can't be. Eating and drinking - which is easier? But even this can be turned into the glory of God. Is a glass of water or an idle word a big deal? But on the Day of Judgment they too will be taken into account and will serve to justify or condemn us. Why is this so? From the spirit by which these things are accomplished. If now these insignificant deeds are capable of being filled with the spirit, because of which they turn into the glory of God and justification for us at the Judgment, how much more are the deeds of your ministry capable of being filled with the spirit of Christ. They all can be - mercy and Judgment - two confidantes of God! If, despite all this, you consider it alien to your service to maintain Christianity, help me in this work... Let’s throw out this section, which is inappropriate in Christianity - secular and spiritual, as if there is no transition from us to you, or from you to us. Let us all take on one task of God - to build up the spirit of Christ in everyone so that everyone can achieve the true good available to man on earth. Everything that has been offered to you thus far embraces the totality of your service. As for your deeds in particular, I will remember only one thing regarding them: not only do not allow yourself, but also pursue in others deeds that attract the wrath of God and take away God’s blessing. God's blessing is always ready; it embraces and covers us; he is driven away from us by deeds that anger God and attract His oath. Without these things, there will always be blessings, therefore, contentment, peace and happy success in everything. If you wish this, drive out from our diocese the deeds that cry out to Heaven, and multiply the deeds that attract God’s blessing. The main thing is this: do not offend or give offense, do not bring them to tears, on the contrary, dry the tears of those who cry. The tears of orphan and bitter widows, caused or not dried up by negligence, will dry up our fields and bring fire into our dwellings. Above all, watch yourself in relation to them. Be a blind eye, a lame foot, and faithful help and support for everyone in need; do justice, truth and equality to everyone in everything - without partiality and bribery. However, it is unnecessary to dwell on this much. You have teachers of this within yourself—your conscientiousness and compassion. But there are still a number of things that attract the curse of God, which are not recognized as such by everyone. This is a way of thinking that is contrary to the rule of faith. With real enlightenment spreading everywhere, it is very important to both contribute to this spread and observe its spirit and character. All that glitters is not gold. You know how many bad thoughts go through books that are decorated with good titles. And even without books, ideas, as if by an electric telegraph, scatter everywhere and “corrupt” (“corrupt”) (1 Cor. 15:33) the good thoughts of sincere believers... Become the guardians and guardians of our diocese from the invasion of pernicious thoughts, “but no one... will seduce us with philosophy and vain flattery... according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ" (Col. 2:8). Do not think that it is all the same, no matter what anyone thinks, and that God looks at the productivity of the mind the same way, whether it agrees with His will or not. Let me remind you of the rite that occurs on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, and you yourself will be convinced otherwise. It first briefly depicts that God laid the foundation for our salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ in paradise, then prepared people to receive Him through the Prophets, and finally, the Lord Himself came and accomplished this salvation by His death. After the Resurrection, he sent the Apostles into the world, who established His Holy Church on earth - “the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). Following it, we believe in “one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator...” and so on, as read in the Creed, with the addition that we also believe in everything that has been orally given to the Church and established by the Councils. Then everyone who opposes the truth is struck with anathema: anathema to such and such, anathema to such and such. I’ll give you an example of who this is for. Topics: - those who do not captivate their minds into obedience to Divine Revelation and resist it and all its truths are anathema; - who deny the existence of God and claim that this world and everything in it happens without the Providence of God and by chance - anathema; - those who dare to say that the Son of God is not consubstantial and not equal to the Father, like the Holy Spirit, that is, they do not confess that God is One in Essence and Trinity in Persons, or that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are One God - anathema; - who blasphemously teach that for our salvation and the cleansing of our sins the Coming of the Son of God into the world and His voluntary suffering, death and Resurrection are not necessary - anathema; - which reject the immortality of the soul, the end of the century, the future judgment and eternal reward for virtues in Heaven, and condemnation for sins is anathema; - those who reject the Councils of the Holy Fathers and their traditions, piously preserved by the Orthodox Church - anathema; - who reject the Sacraments contained by the Holy Church, do not venerate the Most Holy Theotokos, Angels and all saints, as well as holy relics and icons - anathema. Do not think that anathema is a simple word. No, this is word and deed together, according to the immutable definition of the Lord Himself: “Whoever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven” (Matthew 18:18). The church anathema is sealed and confirmed by the will of God; therefore, the spread of ideas affected by church anathema is the spread of God’s curse. Do you want to avert this disaster, protect our diocese from the invasion of anti-Christian teachings, corrupting the minds of children and youth through perverse upbringing, reading bad books, familiarity with non-Christian customs, etc. I can’t find anything more to tell you. Do what has been said and be sure that by doing this, you yourself will be saved and you will save many. I think that you are expecting a mention of the impending change in our mutual relations. There is nothing to tell you about this from this place, except one thing: let us pray that the Lord will give a peaceful outcome to this great deed as a reward for the meek and peace-loving spirit that dominates us everywhere. We hope that this will happen, by the goodness of God. If, contrary to expectation, some disorder occurs somewhere, we will pray that the Lord will give local leaders the intelligence and strength to quickly resolve this disorder and turn everything to the common good. Most likely, we will hand over both this and everything else into the hands of God’s providential care for us! For “he who trusts... in the Lord will receive mercy” (Ps. 31:10). In these thoughts, I finish my word to you, calling on you the blessing of God and praying for His goodness to help you act in the spirit in which you will be pleasing in the face of His unchangeable truth on the Day of final reward for all those who act in the course of the affairs of the whole world. Amen. 4. At the funeral service of General V. A. Kolobov (You fought a good fight) What should I say to you at parting, our brother who has fallen asleep in the Lord? As a last greeting, accept from us the song of the Church that pleases you: “Blessed is the path to which you walk today... for a resting place has been prepared for you.” And this is the most fitting word at your grave! At the grave of others, the thought sometimes hesitates with bewilderment about their fate, and the grief from this obscurity often makes the very prayer for them, caused by compassionate benevolence, timid. But from your tomb there emanates peace, and, paying you our last debt, we can reliably put into your mouth the words of the Apostle: “I fought the good fight, I died, I kept the faith. Otherwise the crown of righteousness will be kept for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will reward me with in the day” (2 Tim. 4:7-8). This is the most faithful and complete tombstone for you! So, you fought a good fight. As evidence of this, we do not need third-party identification. The story of your exploits is written on yourself. You yourself, in the words of the Apostle, compose a living letter about yourself, “read by everyone” (2 Cor. 3:2). On your head, on your toes, on your hands and feet, your deeds are written in blood (of course, wounds), and everyone who sees you will unquestioningly answer your word: “Yes, you truly fought a good fight!” If a loving, yet fearful, heart is still troubled by the thought of whether something evil has crept in among your good deeds and whether this is now blocking your entrance to your resting places, let us point out to it how you ended your course, and it will calm down. All those who saw your dying sufferings - not short or small - turning their gaze to heaven, more than once asked: “Lord, why do you deign to conclude this difficult life with such a painful death?” And faith always answered them: “This fire of disease was sent to burn up all the other thorns of sins, spontaneously and not spontaneously sprouted in the field of your life, so that clean, like a “vessel of honor” (Rom. 9:21), you would be brought into the house of God, the Judge and the Rewarder.” “Many sorrows” where do they include? “Into the Kingdom” (Acts 14:22). And where does the “narrow path” lead? “Into the stomach” (Matthew 7:14). Someone will say: “We heard about his patience, Joblev’s, and saw his painful death, but the final hope is not in them. Faith equalizes and crowns everything.” But the Lord is merciful and generous. If anyone, then even more so can he boldly confirm to everyone: “I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). Ask those who spent days and nights at the painful bed of this sufferer, and they will tell you where his soul found consolation when his patience was exhausted? In God, the One God, was his peace. The icon of the Lady, which saved him in battle, was always with him, not only as a consolation, but also as a calming medicine. The sweetest name of the Lord did not leave his lips. Was there a day when he did not unite with the Lord in His Most Pure Mysteries? And “whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame” (Rom. 10:11). Believe in He, “to have the Eternal Life: and shall not come into judgment, but shall pass from death into the Life” (John 5:24). As he departs to the Lord, he can righteously cry out: “Lord, in Your hands I commend my spirit!” (Luke 23:46). So, “blessed is the way where you are going now,” “for a resting place has been prepared for you.” Paying your last debt to you, we humbly pray to the Lord to rest your spirit “in the villages of the righteous.” But at the same time, against my will, another prayer is ready to burst out: “Remember us before the face of the Lord, when, having presented yourself to the throne of His righteousness, you will find mercy from Him!” Amen. 5. At the funeral service for Mr. Postmaster P. P. Nikolsky (No life remains without a trace) Come, let us give our last kiss, brothers, to the deceased, our last greeting to him, our last interview with him! So, life is over. The clothing of the flesh wears out and is cast off. And the spirit comes out in grief, in the hope that it will one day be clothed in an imperishable and unfading robe. The day of life has dawned - and the worker returns to the Householder to receive his well-deserved reward. The battle is over, and the warrior goes to the Master of the Battle to be adorned with a worthy crown. The voyage is complete... The ship is in the pier - and the swimmer, breathing freely after the storms, prepares for presentation the treasures obtained on the side. We rejoice for you, brother who has fallen asleep in the Lord, for your peace, for your freedom and your joyful stay now. But we cannot help but mourn the separation, losing in you not only a pleasant interlocutor, but also a beneficial figure. For the last time you appear among us - in the church of God - and, of course, not just to irritate the crying and increase the sighing. No. For those who have entered the realm of immortality, tears about the death of the flesh are strange. What will you tell us finally? Your lips are closed, your tongue is tied. But there is a word that is transmitted without sounds, heard without hearing, and passes from mind to mind without any special mediation. This is the word of everyone's life. No life is left without a trace. Just as there is one dominant color in a painting and a dominant tone in a chord, so everyone’s life bears an imprint that is clearly visible in all its manifestations and remains after death as a testament and spiritual heritage of the departed. If we asked you yourself what the word of your life is, your modesty would only say: “Pray to God for me, a sinner.” But if our love had overcome your modesty, then, we know for sure, this is what you could convey to us as a lesson from the experiences of your life: “Sincerely love the holy faith, its dogmas and all its statutes, and in perfect obedience to it find yourself joy and strengthening. May she be the guide of your life and the delight of your last dying minutes. Resting in her bosom, you will reliably surrender your spirit into the hands of God. Be true to your duty; write his duties on the tablets of your heart, listen to them as the will of God that directly concerns you, and, sparing no effort, fulfill them, “not in the sight of those who work as people-pleasers” (Col. 3:22). And you will breathe your last breath with a clear conscience. Don't forget about charity. Let simplicity, quietness and warmth of love warm everyone around you - family, employees, close and distant. And in the last hour you will not experience pain from the cold of death. While living, live as if you had to die every hour. For our breath is in the hands of God, and when He wants, He will cut it off - morning, evening or noon. Surrender yourself to the will of God and when you leave here you will not worry about unfinished business or unfinished concerns.” We've had enough! We know that this is the trace of your life! We accept these lessons as your last testament to us! But listen, we ask, to our wishes. We believe that you are alive and must now appear before the Lord. We nourish the hope that, having completed all the cleansing actions of the holy faith, you will be pardoned. For this is the advantage of our faith - to pass “from death to life” (John 5:24). With all this fraternal fellowship, we will not stop praying for you. Remember us too before the face of God. You go to another world. Just as those who live joyfully welcome a newborn on earth, so those who have gone before you there will joyfully welcome you too. Each of us has more than one person close to our hearts there. Give them our greetings; tell them about our sorrows, our needs and anxieties and assure them that we all “desire to be quickly resolved to be with Christ” (Phil. 1:23) and in Christ with all of them. You are going to your fathers. But our communication does not end with death, but only from visible and tangible becomes invisible and intangible. You know better what directions it is better for us to take in our lives. Don't leave us in our needs. Whoever needs admonition, admonish; who needs reinforcement, reinforce; whoever needs consolation, console. Accept such laconic outpourings of feelings at your grave from us, brother who died in the Lord, as the last greeting - and forgive. We, who remain here, brethren, come, give the last kiss to the deceased, praying to Christ God, that his spirit may rest and rest, where the “living light” (John 8:12), in the bosom of Abraham (Luke 16:22) with all the righteous and saints. Amen. 6. Speech to the soldiers who have just been trained and are leaving for their destination (We entrust you to the protection and intercession of the Lady Theotokos!) (The recruits had just been trained and were sent to the North-Western region. After mass there was a prayer service in the square, and they were blessed with the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God - St.) Receive the blessing of the miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Vladimir. And take this icon with you as a blessing to you on behalf of the entire Vladimir flock, who pray and will pray for you. We entrust you to the protection and intercession of the Lady Theotokos! Remember how many times She saved our city - Vladimir! How many times did she save Moscow and the entire Russian kingdom, working miracles through Her Vladimir Icon. She dispersed enemy hordes, calmed sedition, and delivered them from the most extreme troubles. Always turn to Her with faith. She will undoubtedly help you, for she loves the Christian race and the Christ-loving army, just be careful yourself and do not do anything for which She, the Most Pure One, turns Her eyes away from people. Be sober, peaceful among yourself, obedient to your superiors, patient in your needs, do not offend anyone, keep the holy faith, the fear of God, and most of all, purity and chastity. If you are like this, you will be covered with the Veil of Heaven and, like a pillar of cloud, the Providence of God and the intercession of the Lady Theotokos will surround you! May the blessing of God be upon you, glorified in the Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 7. At the funeral service of the merchant P.V. Kozlova (At this hour we are students, and you are the teacher) With a sorrowful heart and heavy thoughts we surround your tomb, which rested in the Lord! This is not only because in your death we see the full depth of the humiliation of our lofty nature or because it sharply imprints in our minds the image of our death and the path that we too will have to go through. No, that's not the only thing. But at this hour we are students, you are the teacher. Our souls immersed themselves in reflection and sharpened their attention, in readiness to hear from you the last word - the covenant of the outlived to those who survived - from the pulpit of the tomb, from the realm of death. Tell us - what is the meaning of death and what is the price of life?! Your lips are silent, but you can speak without words. Let me now become the interpreter of your silent broadcasts and read your will to those around you. If your mouth were opened, this is what, of course, you would tell us: “What you call death is not death, but the beginning of life - genuine, endless. What you call life is not life, but continuous dying. Man struggles all his life to live, and only hurries towards death. He builds himself a house of life, but out comes a coffin! And he doesn’t see this, poor thing, until he approaches his very doors. Hear what is being sung above me now: that everything temporary is a shadow, a dream, a ghost. That's how it is. Look at me and feel this truth. But throughout his life, some kind of charming veil lies over a person’s eyes and he sees everything differently. Only in the face of death does this cover fall. And blessed is he who has not been led into deception. Do you still want to share in life the “cloud that surrounds us” (Heb. 12:1), which hides reality, put yourself mentally in this position in which I am, and do not deviate from it with your attention. Only the face of death is strong enough to save your thoughts and feelings from charm. I lived among you, and you know my deeds! Part of my life was spent strengthening my means, part of it was spent serving society, the last years seemed like years of rest and peace. The Lord blessed me with contentment, honor and children. You can see it yourself. But all this is not me, but the environment of my life. I tried to be honest, fair, diligent, keep peace with everyone, do good according to my strength and steadily “walk in... the justifications of the Lord” (1 Kings 2, 3), the contents of the Church. But this is also the external side of life, and not its essence, not what those who live on earth are recognized to be like beyond the grave. There, everyone is recognized as the Lord contemplates whom according to his innermost thoughts, feelings and dispositions. But this is a secret that is not transmitted from the dead to the living. I'll tell you one thing. Before the gates of death, the whole picture of life is revealed in the consciousness - and there is no strength to turn attention away from it. Do you want this to serve you as a consolation and become the beginning of endless joys? You have the word of God and the Holy Church as your teacher. Educate yourself according to their patterns, and at the hour of death your way of life will rejoice. You know that no one is clean from filth, “even if he lives on earth for one day” (Job 14:5). How many years have I lived - and how much I have sinned before God! Know, however, that only good deeds pass beyond the grave with us, and only those who are not purified by repentance pass from evil deeds; yet those purified by repentance remain on earth. Now I actually experience how true the word of the Lord is that “what is permitted on earth is resolved in Heaven” (Matthew 18:18) so that not a trace of it remains there. This is a great and unexplored mercy of God towards us - Confession and Holy Communion. He who believes and does everything by faith does not see death, but passes “from death to life” (John 5:24)! Do not be flattered, my brothers, and do not delay from day to day until death. It was not by chance that I died. I saw her approach and managed to get ready. Thank the Lord! But if I were now allowed to return to Confession, how much I would hasten to make up for - if not in the discovery of affairs, then in the power of their contrition and the deeds for them. Who will fill this gap?! I take refuge in the shadow of the cross and ask you: help me with your prayers and call all the saints to prayer, so that the Lord does not impute my sins to me and His truth does not bar me from entering the palace of glory prepared for those who love Him.” Do you hear, brethren, this speech? I put it in the mouth of the deceased; but it is not invented, but taken from reality. For truly, everything is so. Come, gather these fruits of life from the fruitless tree of death, and taste them, so that you may live not to death, but to life. Behold, you give the last kiss to the deceased, but not the last prayerful memory. A prayer for him - and a lesson for yourself! And this will be a trace of his life in us. There is one path for everyone. The time will come - and we will be put in a coffin. We must prepare. How? It is best to learn this at the graves of the dead, and not only to learn, but also to live according to the teaching, so that later we can die in an instructive way for those who will outlive us. Amen. 8. For the consecration of the water supply system in the city of Murom, on the day of the crowning of the sovereign Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich (Natural water and spiritual water) You, citizens, are now joining the domestic celebration of the crowning of our most pious sovereign, Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich, with your own festive institution - a coincidental combination, of course - not chosen by mere thought, however. When crowned king, the most pious sovereign invested himself with comprehensive concern for the well-being of his people. Therefore, can it not be comforting for him that this day is somewhere marked by the fulfillment of his vows and desires, although not according to his direct orders? Deeds similar to those performed among you constitute the best adornment of a royal crown and are not an unworthy or unwanted offering to the crowned one. Grant, Lord, that on this solemn day not a single year will pass in our fatherland without such sacrifices, as a consolation to our beloved monarch. Turning to the subject of your local rejoicing and, before the church ritual over it, wanting to honor it with the sacred ritual of the word, I am perplexed what to do: should I praise the deed or glorify its performer? But the deed praises itself louder than any word, and when praising the doer, will you fall within the measure of praise that is spoken to him in the hearts of everyone, and will you coincide with his aspirations and desires? This would not cause him displeasure instead of pleasure, for sincere modesty is usually embarrassed by both unfeigned and not undeserved praise. Therefore, I judge it best to ascend to the One from Whom comes “every good gift and every perfect gift” (James 1:17), and, looking at the matter in this light, invite you to give thanks, make vows and learn. You are receiving unexpected joy, citizens. Have you thought, searched, asked?! No. For one, without your influence, a thought was born, ripened into a desire, fruitful in determination and action, and all this almost instantly. Who sowed such a thought and allowed it to grow so strong? And then, Who gave the strength to complete what was planned, despite, of course, considerable obstacles? And again, where does the person chosen as the instrument of benefiting you come from? Who attracted him here from afar, as if on purpose, just so that you would receive from his hands what you are getting and what others may not have to have for a long time yet and will cost a lot of work? All this is from Him, from Whom everything is good - both thought and deed, and without Whose will nothing can be accomplished in the world. Offer up grateful prayers to Him for His Fatherly care for you, so tangibly revealed in the providential arrangement of the matter, so beneficial for you! So we see God’s mercy towards you - we see that you are now, as it were, special chosen ones by the Lord. Tell us, what deserves this mercy? And what does she mean? Is this a reward for your past deeds or a calling to deeds that are still expected of you? The Lord does not have anything for free, and He, who at the same time sees both the deep past and the distant future, builds the present on the past and extracts the future from the present, knows how to combine both - reward with invocation. But if you were asked to make a choice and it was necessary to give you a guiding thought, I would say: refuse the first and choose the last. A demanding heart, of course, is immediately ready to see reward, perhaps ready to point out merits even where there are none at all; but for those who are commanded to be primarily humble, how can they agree to something that inspires immodest self-conceit? And how can one look back and see something there, when the Apostle, in his example, gave the commandment: “to forget what is behind, but to stretch to what is before” (Phil. 3:13). God can still reward here for past labors; but in His mercy you see nothing else but an incentive to multiply good deeds. Therefore, now place more vows in your heart for deeds of charity and pleasing God, so as to testify your gratitude to God not only in word, but also in deed. How you would like this instruction not to remain an empty word! You receive only material benefits: part of your external life improves, the way to satisfy your basic needs becomes easier. For those who see nothing but matter and do not extend their views beyond it, there is nothing left now except to adapt to the fullest and most comprehensive use of the good. But those for whom the material is not a goal, but a means, while using the physical cannot forget about the spiritual. Each of you will now have time, work and prosperity, turn all this into profit for your spiritual life and, while nourishing the body, at the same time do not be lazy in satisfying the needs of the soul. How exactly and with what, you can find instructions on this in the lesson on water. Review the history of the appearance of the power of God on the waters at different times and learn. Remember, the Spirit of God rushes “on top of the waters” (Gen. 1, 2); behold, the waters are separated from the earth (Gen. 1: 6–7, 9–10); behold, four rivers will “water” the earthly paradise (Gen. 2:10–14); behold, the waters wash away the iniquities of the first inhabitants of the earth (Gen. 6:5–22, 7:1–28, 8:1–14); Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were granted visions especially at the waters (Gen. 32:24–29). Israel is saved from the Egyptians through the miraculous division of water (Exodus 14:21–30); He will drink water miraculously flowing from a stone in the desert (Num. 20:7-11); by a miracle over the water he is introduced into the Promised Land (Joshua 3:14-17); in Gideon the water tests the army (Judges 7:4-7); Elijah burns the victim (1 Kings 18:32–38); Elisha cleanses leprosy (2 Kings 5:10–14). Remember all this and the like and learn! Moreover, bring to your mind the fact that in the Church of Christ, water is primarily not only an image of grace, irrigating, washing and watering the soul, but also a mysterious means of receiving it. Just as water has its own reservoirs and conductors from them, through which it passes to its destination, so grace, settling in the heart, from there passes through all directions of mental activity and in each, in its time and according to its kind, bears fruit - either good thoughts, or good undertakings, or the feelings and dispositions of saints. Go inside yourself and understand how all this happens. However, an unusual thought may have difficulty with this; but there are other reminders, some simple, some vast - I mean the waters of the font and the tears of repentance. Think about them especially when you come to use the water, and pray in the words of the prophet David: “Wash me above all from my iniquity and from my sin, cleanse me... Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean: wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (Ps. 50: 4, 9). By doing this, you will drink from natural water and spiritual water, and through this you will grow and become stronger in spirit. Spiritual life is not like physical life. The bodily one grows stronger by accepting matter from the outside, and the spiritual one grows through internal activity, feeding on what it gives birth to from itself. It gives birth to good thoughts and holy feelings and feeds itself with them and grows from them. Here is an explanation of what I said at the beginning - that it is better for you to give thanks, make vows and learn. Now, having given everyone their due in the word, let us turn to prayer and earnestly pray to the Lord, may He bless your water and all the structures along its lines and grant the water suitability for every need, and the structures - strength and longevity, without stopping grateful feelings - both to the Lord and to the instrument of His mercy chosen by Him towards you. Let the rumor of this always please the heart of our most pious monarch. Amen. 9. At the burial of the abbess of the Vladimir convent Seraphima (Death reminds us that we are not at home) “In the blessed dormition, grant eternal peace, O Lord, to Thy departed servant!” This is how she prays and this is how the Holy Church invites us all to pray now at the tomb of the deceased. What do you have in your soul, surrounding these mortal remains? Do you share the voice of the Church or do you indulge in usual lamentation? Are you learning or indifferently looking at the coffin as the inevitable end of all? It seems that we should have expected the latter. But one must marvel. No matter how many people we see dying, we know that we ourselves will all die, but we just can’t look death in the eyes with indifference. In death something decisive happens for us. Even the dark premonition of this at the sight of her shakes our entire being. And then a thought comes from the heart: what will happen to her and what will happen to us later, when, in due time, we enter the same path - and it puts silence on our lips, and plunges our soul into deep and sad reflection. What's wrong with her? This is what the song of the Church says about her! “Blessed is the path to which you walk” “today, O soul, for a resting place has been prepared for you.” Our mother and savior says this: who dares to argue? That the deceased passed from death into the belly to eternal rest, the conviction of this is one of the features of the Christian spirit. “We flow,” according to the Apostle, “not as unknown; in this way we strive, not as the beating air” (1 Cor. 9:26). We have the authentic word of the Lord: “Where I am, there also will My servant be” (John 12:26). Carrying this certificate in his heart, the Apostle Paul wished to quickly leave the body in order to “be with Christ” (Phil. 1:23), and this desire as an inheritance became the property of all Christians. We believe that “without offending... the Lord will forget” (Heb. 6:10) any of our labors. For this reason we sing: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord” (Rev. 14:13). Exactly, you say, “blessed are the dead,” but those who die in the Lord. So, this is the strength of our hope. But it is the fruit of the deceased’s life, more than many others. It will not be a mistake and will not be contrary to anyone’s conviction if we put the word of the Apostle into her mouth: “I have fought the good fight, I have died, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). But if we can add this to it, then we must also add the following: “For the rest the crown of righteousness is kept for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will reward me in the day” (2 Tim. 4:8). Whoever knew her before becoming a monk, and during her monastic life, and as a leader over the monastics, knows her exploits, and her course, and her faith, and cannot help but see the crown of righteousness prepared for her by the Just Lord. Remember the exploits of virginity and purity, non-covetousness, fasting and abstinence, solitude and prayer, obedience and work, patience and meekness, motherly care for everyone and condescension towards everyone, and you will rejoice in hope. Of course, “who... is pure... more than one day of his life on earth?” (Job.14, 4–5). But let us ask each other, who is not pure, washed by the tears of Repentance, united with the Lord in His Most Pure Mysteries and again receiving remission of sins in the Sacrament of Anointing? I say this not to stop the aspiration of your prayer for her, but to dispel the darkness of hopelessness that often surrounds the soul at the sight of those departing for another life - “and do not grieve” like the pagans, “having no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). So, brothers and sisters, “blessed be God... hath begotten us for a living hope... for an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for your sake” (1 Pet. 1:3-4). Based on this confidence, you are perplexed: why else does the soul ache and lament at the graves of the deceased?! Isn't it more about yourself? And in fact, if there is the belly - here is death, there is peace, and here is work, there is joy, and here is sorrow, there is the native - here is a stranger, then in the face of the dead we are in exactly the same position as those who send one of their own to their homeland, but themselves remain on the foreign side. The heart feels this and aches. We usually forget that we are not at home. Death reminds us of this and resurrects the dormant longing for our homeland. Here is crying and lamenting about the dead, but more about yourself than about them. It seems to me that our deceased lips are ready to tell us: “Do not cry for me, but cry for yourself.” But why cry about yourself? Isn’t it better, having stood with a firm foot on the unshakable rock of our hope, to carefully examine ourselves and rationally make sure whether we are “going on so that we may comprehend” (1 Cor. 9:24). If so, let us strengthen ourselves in this right current; and if not so, we will correct the wrong. This is a lesson from death to the living. Watch and learn. Yesterday these eyes saw, and ears heard, and lips spoke, and the body was in motion. But the spirit of life has departed: and what do you see? Remember this every minute and act as this memory inspires. Today she is tomorrow we. There is only one way. Do not seek pleasure for the eye and ear: tomorrow the eye will close and the door of the ear will be closed. Do not give free rein to your arms and legs: tomorrow the hand of death will bind them and you will be chained to a bed from which you will not rise. Do not desire red clothes and bright dwellings: tomorrow this is the kind of clothing they will clothe you in and this is the kind of house they will prepare for you! Do not become attached to the earth and to earthly things: tomorrow the scythe of death will cut all these bonds and you will reluctantly go to another country, where everything is different from this one. Move there in advance with your thoughts and hearts, so that when you are brought into that region, you will not be unfamiliar with the customs there. Having tuned in this way, we will have a good answer in our hearts to what will happen to us when we lie down on a similar bed. This lesson is closest to you, sisters. You have already died and are shrouded in grave shrouds. See now what it means to die. It means to be body here and spirit there. So form yourself in your heart, so that when death comes, it does not produce something new in you, but imprints what was constantly in you and constituted the law of your life. Or are you not up to school? Deprived of your mother so soon - and never come to your senses from the sudden loss? But dissolve the sadness of separation with prayer and confidence in its closeness to you even after death; and, according to the words of the Apostle, “looking at the end of her life, imitate her faith” (Heb. 13:7-8). You know it more than others. You should have greater hope in her, and be more enriched by the inheritance from her example than others. But still do not stop crying out: “In the blessed dormition, grant eternal rest, O Lord, to your departed servant!” Amen. 10. To be tonsured as a monk by the father of the archpriest of the city of Shatsk, named Herman in monasticism and destined to be the archimandrite of the Cherniev Monastery (The essence of monasticism is to be one with the One God incessantly) I greet you, beloved fellow monk in the Lord, with greetings of joy and good wishes! We are happy to fuck you. We hope that you also rejoice, although not without trepidation. For if you have experienced in your heart what has happened to you in these moments, then you cannot help but experience strong sensations that usually excite conscientious souls who enter into the essence of the important matters they take upon themselves. I come to your aid and will try to streamline the movements of your heart with my simple word, although I will not say anything more than what the Holy Church has already spoken to you with my lips. Truly you have started a good deed. Who is against this? All that remains is to do it well. In this regard, I am not telling you: do not think that by putting on monastic attire all the work of seeking monasticism is over. By doing this I would offend your reasoning and heart. It’s true, you know that just as someone dressed in military armor may not be a warrior, so someone dressed in a monastic way may not be a monk. You are now ready for monastic rites and are entering the rank of those undergoing it. But your monastic service itself is still ahead. Draw a brighter image of the perfect monk in your mind and strive to realize it in the rest of your life, without sparing your stomach. Have you seen how they release balloons? The ball is filled with gas - a celestial element, without which it is impossible for it to rise upward. But even when filled, it does not go up while it is tied to the ground with ropes. And the detached one already rushes upward, according to the density of the air surrounding him and the subtlety of the elements filling him. There he finally disappears into the heights or is covered by clouds, where he remains alone, embraced by the sky on all sides. Here is the image of a perfect monk! Having renounced everything, he directs his mind and heart to the mountain and remains there united with the One God. Note that this is the essence of monasticism - to be one with the One God - not for a minute, not for an hour, not for a day, but incessantly. Nothing created - neither large nor small - should absorb the attention and heart of a monk. He is all in God and in Heaven. What's keeping him there? The ball is held at the height of its contents by the celestial element - gas. And the monk keeps his consciousness in Heaven because all the desires of his heart are directed there, kindled in him by Heavenly grace. The gas in the ball evaporates - the ball begins to descend down, and the more the gas evaporates, the lower the ball descends until it falls again to the ground from which it had renounced. If the desire for Heavenly things diminishes in a monk, he will fall down with attention and, instead of God, he will become occupied with creation. Then he loses his character. Notice this and remind yourself of this more often. I won't continue the comparison any further. I leave it to you to develop it further. Let me just remind you of one thing what should be meant by renunciation. Monastic renunciation is not just a renunciation of worldly connections, of sensual pleasures, of self-interest, and of all objects in general that feed passions, but it is, in addition, a renunciation of all natural feelings that are not considered vicious, such as the feelings of kinship, friendship, and others. All this must be absorbed by the spirit and receive its character from it, as the Lord inspires, saying: “Who is My Mother; and who are My brothers? ...Whoever...if He does the will of My Father, He who is in heaven is My brother, and My sister, and My mother” (Matthew 12:48,50). Here is the beginning of the eternal Heavenly judgment about things and persons and the corresponding disposition towards them. Only one who has ascended to this height enjoys complete freedom, and only he is truly a servant of God, not enslaved to anything except the holy will of God. Don’t say: “High is difficult.” Nobody claims that it is easy. But do not be afraid, be afraid below. The Lord is near with His grace, near the prayers of the holy ascetics, to whom you call and whose life you designate in your mind to imitate. And then know that it’s not suddenly - to the heights. How do they go up the stairs? They start from the lowest levels and gradually rise to the very top. You too will rise. Just don't weaken. Force yourself to do every task and every feat, and you will imperceptibly move forward. For every tension of freedom, God's grace will come to you and secure for you what you were looking for. The grace of God acts in relation to us, like a master who, walking behind a cart that is heavily hauled up a mountain, immediately throws a stone under the wheels, just as a horse stops, and thereby saves what has been traveled. With this in mind, be jealous, act with intense effort in hope - and surely you will reach the end. I am not reminding you of honest behavior and good living in external relations. From this side you are very famous, and a change of place will probably not change your rules. But do not forget, while maintaining good behavior, to take care of the well-being of the heart, of the harmonious combination in it of all holy feelings and dispositions. Nor do I remind you of external deeds of piety. Having grown old in a pious life, it is true that you know from experience both fasting, and standing at night, and long sacred rites, and the exact fulfillment of the rules of prayer, and acting against one’s own will - all this is known both with its difficulties and with its consolations. Now it is up to you to make all this, from interrupted and alternate, continuous and constant. But do not forget about inner service to God, and about the inner feats of struggle with thoughts and all the flattering movements of our not always healthy heart. Nor do I remind you of the leadership that is before you. You have been familiar with management affairs for so many years now. And in the new circle of affairs before you, everything is arranged by the same prudence and experience with which you have been distinguished until now. But do not forget that your main goal will be to guide souls into the Kingdom not externally, but internally - by reasoning with brotherly thoughts and unraveling the nets with which the enemy is wont to confuse the consciences of the weak and inexperienced. We hope that you will improve the monastery entrusted to you; but do not think that at the same time we agree that you care about its external splendor and contentment alone, leaving the internal perfection in monastic life in negligence. No. If you see that the first cannot be achieved without damaging the latter, leave the monastery in poverty, if this is necessary, so that it blooms with the inner beauty of spiritual perfections. I'll limit myself to this. For if we said everything, there would be no end to our speech. However, the wise man will see much in little things. And I offered you this little thing not to teach you, but to remind you only of what, of course, you yourself constantly contain in your mind and heart. May the Lord bless you and help you in all good things for the glory of His all-holy name. Amen. 11. At the choice of members of the zemstvo, on the day of the meeting of the Bogolyubskaya icon (The order of the zemstvo should be established in the Christian spirit) Let me briefly greet you and express our best wishes to you. May the merciful Lord accept your expressed readiness to act for the common good of all as “an acceptable sacrifice to Him” (Phil. 4:18). From this very moment your labors will begin and will follow the predetermined sequence. For you, of course, everything is more or less already known. May God's blessing be present to you throughout and may it fill everything that your own efforts and techniques are lacking. By your turn to prayer, you publicly confessed that “unless the Lord builds a house, those who build it labor in vain” (Ps. 126:1). Only those who do nothing or spend time in empty vanities do not confess this truth. May the Lord be the beginning, and the direction, and the end of all your plans. Let everything come from God and let it return to God. You will establish the order of the zemstvo. It's the same as building a house. Lay the foundations of the holy faith, direct the walls according to the demands of truth and love, and complete the building with Christian hopes. If you build your building in this spirit, it will be good for our zemstvo to live in it. If you get carried away by foreign, heterodox and completely wrong ideas, if you run things the way those who hope “even in this world” (Eph. 1:21) run things (Eph. 1:21), if everywhere you have only one interest, then this will be for the zemstvo what smoke is for bees or drought and locusts are for vegetation. Of course, you will not succumb to the almost common mistake in the organizers of our good - called and uninvited, according to which they consider themselves to have the right to build everything anew. No, we can't do that. Our zemstvo has been established for a long time. Of this building, the style has been established, the dimensions have been determined, and the materials have been determined. The outline of new orders is like private reconstructions or additions to a finished building, which itself is supposed to stand unchanged. Remember: “Our land was at first vast and rich, but lacked order.” Where did the orders come from?! He breathed the spirit of new life in Christ Jesus, penetrated into all our layers, into all relationships and deeds, and ordered everything according to his requirements. We are part of the city of God, Heavenly Jerusalem! So this is what style you look at and take a closer look at these sizes. After all, you will be dealing not with dead land alone, but with Christian souls. From Christian materials, let’s say, is it appropriate to build something non-Christian?! In ordinary buildings, our materials are prepared according to the building. And Christian souls are the material to which all kinds of buildings prepared for them must be applied - the building of enlightenment, and the building of justice, and the building of external well-being, and all sorts of others. How blessed our country would be if this were done in all parts. The opening of our zemstvo on a day like this gives us hope that everything with you will be arranged in no other way than in this spirit. How exactly each part of your studies can be inspired by this spirit, I will not explain. Let us spare our common fatigue and listen to the advice of the All-Wise (Jesus, son of Sirach) that we should not multiply words before the wise (Sir. 7, 14, 20:8). The Lady Mother of God, under whose shade and protection you now bow, may she be for you both the Guide of your studies and a quick Helper in your needs. Amen. 12. On the day of the name of the heir to Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich (Three evils are real, three evils are expected, and where can we expect salvation from them) Celebrating Saint and Wonderworker Nicholas - an example of a jealous spirit in the holy faith of God and in the truth of the state - let us not forget to fervently pray to him, so that he, the closest patron and guardian of the rightful sovereign Tsarevich of the same name, heir to the All-Russian throne, would fill him with the same spirit and the same spirit would grow and strengthen among the people preparing for his reign. For here is the root of internal strength, external security and all-round prosperity and peace. About ourselves, about what we now have, we cannot help but say: “Thanks be to the Lord!” We are happy with our specific measure of happiness, but will this happiness carry over into the future?! Will it rise or will it dry up completely?! More than one idle curiosity asks: “What lies ahead for us, or – if not for us, then for our successors?!” It is so natural for a person to strengthen his life for a long time that he cannot deny himself at least an indirect, applied solution to this issue. What can I say to him? If you say: what lies ahead, of course, will be either good or bad - who will be satisfied with that? Even if we add to this: it will be good if we ourselves are good, and it will be bad if we ourselves are bad, then the matter will become somewhat clearer, but will not be presented in certainty that eliminates all bewilderment. For what does it mean to be good and what does it mean to be bad in relation to social life?! Everyone decides this in their own way, and how they decide is how they act. But not every decision is a good decision, although not a single decision maker has obvious evil in mind. And it is on this occasion that the face of St. Nicholas rises in thought at the right time and in his spirit indicates a guiding rule both for us and for our subsequent generations, namely: in the spirit of zeal for the holy faith and for the truth of the state. Whoever is filled with this spirit will find out at all times and in all circumstances how to be good and how to act well, to strengthen social welfare. This rule does not require much explanation. In other words, it means: “Live humbly as a Christian, love the throne and the fatherland - and you yourself will prosper and pass on this prosperity to your offspring.” Look around! It seems like that's all we have. And thanks be to the Lord! But it occurs to me to point out something to you as a warning, because weapons are prepared and taught to fight against the enemy during times of peace. Glory to Thee, Lord! During the present reign, new institutions are being introduced one after another, each more beneficial than the other. Under their influence, future Russia “will be renewed like eagles’ youth” (Ps. 102:5). But according to the way of life of the current world, evil is always mixed with good. And here it is necessary to look - and see that, if it is no longer possible without evil, at least it is so small that it cannot harm good. Nowadays we do not bind our thoughts and do not swaddle them like a child. This does not mean permission to think as you want, but an incentive to independently reach the point of thinking as you should. The norm, as one should think, has already been destined, and permission to deviate from it is not given. Meanwhile, one may not understand this good intention and give it space not to be embarrassed by anything - neither earthly nor Heavenly. The urge to do this is very tempting and can spread faster than any fad. And there is an abyss of evil from him. There is no evil force like thought, unbridled by anything. So we need to watch so that the unbridled thoughts do not engulf everyone; and if it is impossible without this ulcer, would anyone have already been exposed to its infection? New ways to expand the well-being of each individual and entire societies are now being indicated and patronized. This does not mean that it is included in the general law: “soul... eat, drink and be merry” (Luke 12:19); but it is only destined to bring us to the point where we can more easily and quickly satisfy everyday needs and then have more time to care for the soul and prepare it for Eternal Life. Meanwhile, this good intention may not be understood. You can become addicted to some earthly goods, and to others, higher, to lose every taste and urge. Hence, unbridled sensuality is a fatal ulcer, like the first, but even more seductive. So we must watch so that the passion for mere sensual pleasures does not seize everyone; and even if it cannot be eradicated from everyone, so that it breaks out timidly somewhere, like an illicit fiend, and does not walk, raising its head, through the haystacks. Now a part of self-care and self-government is given to ourselves. This does not mean that permission is given: “Do whatever your soul pleases,” but it is only given to know: “It’s not enough to babysit you, it’s time for you to think about yourself and organize yourself” - according to a general outline, however, emanating from one center, which directs all private concerns and labors to one and unites the entire state body. Meanwhile, this good intention may not be understood. Experiences of self-government in this form can give rise to urges for self-government without any restrictions. This urge is also capable of captivating many and even generalizing and then destructively revealing its demand and its strength. So we need to be careful that unbridled freedom of action does not penetrate us; and if it is no longer possible to completely drown it out in everyone, then in every possible way do not allow it to expand - to strengthen to the consciousness of its strength. Let him be lost in insignificance before the vast majority of those who willingly obey the structure outlined by their will alone. All these dangers, of course, are still ahead; They weren’t invented, however, they were on purpose, with a stretch, but are almost inevitable if we don’t pay attention. If we do not pay attention, we will quickly develop unbridled thoughts, sensuality, and freedom and, of course, will bear fruit according to its kind. Do not think that it is the habit of ancient methods of moral teaching that forces them to be exposed, and that their evilness is the dream of melancholy, accustomed to looking at everything gloomily from the solitude of a cell. You can say: look and see. And even without instructions - don’t you see for yourself? And how harmful these moods are, you can study the people who, half a century before, were subjected to their destructive effects. Until now, he has not recovered or established himself in any way, and if he now displays some outward appearance, it is only thanks to the iron chains in which he is chained by the hand of a self-refined, but hardly forever lasting power. No, our consolation does not lie in the fact that all these are vain fears, but in that faith in Divine Providence and God’s special care for our Orthodox kingdom, by which we are convinced that God will not allow this three-part poison to spill out among us or this three-headed serpent from the abyss to dominate us. And if it happens that these elements of evil somehow multiply among us and increase to the point that they can be dangerous, He will always put us in such a combination of circumstances that will completely sober us and, in His measure and in His order, will place all the strengths and directions of our spirit. The condition, however, is still the same - the prevailing spirit of zeal for the faith and truth of the state. This spirit has an amazing power to keep everything in order and forms an instinct that will lead you out of the most confusing and difficult circumstances. Grant, Lord, that he may remain alive and active with us forever. In this regard, one could cheer oneself up with good faith, relying on the Orthodoxy that prevails among us, but our current social direction and mood - even for simple observation - presents a lot of things that drive away peace and shake with fear. I allow myself to say this, not hidden. The upper educated class deviates into unbelief; some are not ashamed to publicly declare themselves an unbeliever, while others outwardly appear to be not alien to the faith, but inwardly have long been unfaithful; the lower class - the common people - is drawn into schism; of the rest, isn’t it more than half suffering from indifference. Unbelief, indifference to faith and schism are our modern diseases, which are all the more dangerous because they spread and infect unnoticed. If they are left to develop freely, they will soon divide all of Orthodox Rus' among themselves. Then there will be nowhere for the spirit of saving zeal for faith and state truth to hover and act. And without him, where can we expect salvation?! When you put these three real evils in connection with those three expected ones, you cannot help but cry: what to do and what to do? Let us pray that the Lord will correct us, that He Himself will raise up figures capable of healing our present infirmities and preventing future ones. To this we will add our small assistance, namely: if you see evil, do not succumb to evil, but take care to keep even your neighbor from it. If everyone begins to deviate from evil, evil will have no place between us. Good will then reign on its own, for it is predestined to reign in us. Amen. 13. Before the memorial service for the heir to Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich (Sorrowful, brothers, deeply sorrowful!) And now would not be the time for words, for grief, oppressing the heart, binds thought and tongue. But from the same grief I could not resist saying something to you, even though I don’t know how to say anything more than what is already in all of you in your souls. Sorrowful, brethren, deeply sorrowful! It is sorrowful for the sake of the sorrow of the most pious sovereign and empress. Mournful for the loss of our beloved heir. It is sorrowful for the betrayal of the right hand of the Almighty in the administration of our state. Let’s take our thoughts there – to the deathbed of the deceased! He is surrounded by the sovereign, the empress, the entire august family, the already chosen friend of life, so early outlived, her mother and brother. You can paint a picture for yourself of what is happening there. The Sovereign Emperor ordered to inform his dear loyal subjects that he and the empress with tenderness and humility endure the grief that befell them and bow before the inscrutable determinations of God's Providence. Oh, who does not know the high spirit of our compassionate king and our compassionate queen! But they are also father and mother, and the burden of grief that torments them cannot hide from the hearts of the sons and daughters of Russia faithful to them. Their sorrow is our sorrow, and who does not share it now? That is why, first of all, let us now offer prayers to the Lord, who arranges everything, may He instill in the heart of the sovereign, and especially the empress, and with them and everyone who is there, a spirit of complacency as deep as their sorrow is deep, and with its overshadowing, may He dissolve and extinguish every effervescence of sadness that disturbs the cycle of life, both body and soul. But, brothers, this sorrow is even closer to us. Death is our common destiny. But there is early and late death. There is death - the limit of simple life, and there is death - the limit of life is very expensive. Before us is the early limit of life, so precious and necessary to us. How to bear it without deep sorrow?! The Lord God has given us an heir. This city knows what it is like! And we loved him and rested our future hopes on him for so long. Now the beloved is gone, and the light of our hopes is dimming. Here's to the pain of the heart! We already love his successor and will also confidently base our good expectations on him. But if we stop loving our beloved, we will not stop loving him, and we will not forget his deprivation, and we will not bury him in indifference. Our thoughts and hearts followed him, beyond the grave, and let us keep them there. Let them now stand boldly with him at the Throne of God and for him pray to the merciful Lord to be merciful to him, to forgive him all his sins and to open the doors of heaven for him to accept him into the eternal abode. But let’s think again about what happened! Life blossomed and was taken, one might say, instantly - life from which a whole series of kings was to descend. Now a new succession to the throne will be determined, and a new direction for the royal line will be given. Isn't the special finger of God visible here? Isn’t the providential “treason of the right hand of the Most High” (Ps. 76:11) visible, arranging the destinies of nations through the kings He provides? Now stand at this starting point of a new series of events: and what can you say to the irresistible need of the heart - to determine what this betrayal is for and what we can expect from it ahead? The future is already gloomy, but here its darkness is aggravated. Usually it was explained somewhat in this regard a long time ago our unchanging order of succession, and here an unexpected turn only raises questions to which our timid and narrow-minded thoughts do not dare to give answers; the curtain separating us from what lies ahead becomes even more impenetrable. Standing in the face of this impenetrability, where will we find support and calm for our spirit, troubled by grief? In one perfect devotion to the will of God. We believe that the philanthropic Lord wisely took one heir to the throne and also providentially gives another. At the tomb of the heir to the throne, more than ever, it is fitting for us to prayerfully cry out: “Thy will be done, Lord!” (Matthew 26, 42, 6:10) And isn’t this what the sovereign wanted to instill in us with his complete submission to the inscrutable determinations of God’s Providence?! Marvelous are the works of God! And “who... understands the mind of the Lord?” (Rom.11:34). But when such a significant change in our state is providentially allowed or accomplished during a period of significant changes in our country, then it is impossible not to put the first in connection with the last. Who knows what would have happened without this change and what else will happen as a result of it? However, this sad and, one might say, formidable event does not give us a clear lesson: “Be careful when you change. Change for the better in external life, as it seems better to you, but do not attempt to change what was established among you from above for your eternal good.” Look: “it is fitting for man to die alone, and then comes the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). There is only one justification at the Judgment - in the Lord, our Savior; and we are in communion with Him only through faith in Him and life according to faith, through the ripening power of the Holy Sacraments, under the influence of all the prayerful and sanctifying rites of the Holy Church. Leave all this unchanged. This is the only path to a blessed death and to justification at the Judgment, which gives entrance to a blessed eternity. Who would not agree that such a reminder, and a reminder in a strong tone, as you can see, is very timely for us. They began to change everything among us, and they became so irritated by the urge to change that many began to betray the holy faith. Come unbelief, relaxation of morals and coldness towards the Church - this is alienation from objects so dear to the Lord. And now, as it were, the Lord says: “You reject what is dear to Me, and I take from you what is dear to you - the heir to the throne dear to you.” “Be mindful,” let us continue the lesson of the Lord, “become aware and do not be like a horse and a horse, which has no understanding” (Ps. 31:9). Finally, as for the eternal fate of the deceased, we can confidently apply to it the words of the song: “Blessed is the path to which you are going today... for a resting place has been prepared for you.” You personally knew the sovereign heir, meek, humble, attentive to the needs of others, a believer, reverent, patient, devoted to God. And what should be said about such? “For of these is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Who, of course, is without sin, “even if he lived only one day on earth?” (Job.14, 5). But Confession cleansed his sins, and Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ united him with the Lord. We believe that he was pardoned and undoubtedly accepted the pledge of justification. What remains for him even after this, it is our duty to fill with fervent prayers for him, which from now on, together with the Church, begin to lift up for him to the Throne of the merciful Lord. Amen. 14. Before reading the manifesto on the appointment of a new heir, the now deceased Alexander Alexandrovich (The Tsar rules the kingdom. He himself is ruled by the heart, which is ruled by the Lord) We began the current sacred rite with sad prayer, and we will end it with gratitude and joy, sharing both with the offering of the Bloodless Sacrifice, in which all sadness is dissolved by consolation and all joy is sanctified by Heavenly blessings. This is an accurate image of our present situation, in which, still darkened by grief over the death of the deceased heir, we hear from the highest will the consoling proclamation of his successor. Our situation is similar to what happens in nature, when on a gloomy day the sun, breaking through the clouds, shows its face to the earth. The darkness has not yet disappeared from the face of the earth, but the light of the sun is already in a hurry to cheer up sentient creatures. We are still sad about the loss of the first-born heir, and now another successor is given to us, with his rights, virtues, and hopes. Even though sadness still does not leave the heart, can we say that the joyful announcement does not overshadow us with its characteristic consolation! Joy does not replace sadness. And this should not be the case; let them dwell together in kindred ways in the same hearts for the sake of the kinship of persons, about whom we have both sadness and joy. Who remembers when the proclamation of the heir to the throne was taken away from us, as it is now? Let no one, however, think that there is any sad omen in this. On the contrary, here the indication from above is so clearly imprinted on the peaceful outcome of sadness and the peaceful reign of joy. The current manifesto is like a rainbow under Noah! (Gen.9, 13–14, 16) Remember what happened then. Traces of the flood were still everywhere on earth. But Noah offered a sacrifice to God, and God uttered a merciful decree that there would be no more flood, that henceforth day and night, spring and summer, sowing and harvest would alternate. “And the sign of this covenant...” says the Lord, “I set My arc in the cloud” (Gen. 9:12-13). Sorrow has befallen us, we have lamented and lamented, we have prayed and are praying - and now we are shown the proclamation of a new heir to the throne, like a rainbow, heralding the passing of sorrow and the imminent onset of the desired and expected consolations. I don’t know how it is in other places, but in relation to us, I see confirmation of good instructions in this uncontrived coincidence of the proclamation of a new heir with the celebration of Midwifery - a day joyfully greeted and cheerfully celebrated. We go to the waters with which our thirst is quenched, we cry to the Lord: “Fill my thirsty soul with piety with waters,” and we hear the Lord proclaiming: “let him thirst come to me and drink” (John 7:37). So, at the same time, a picture is ready to emerge in the mind of those who will come from the sovereign crown prince in his future reign of beneficent institutions, which, like abundant waters, will to quench our thirst, every need, everyday, civil, industrial, scientific, artistic, and even more so, religious. At the very least, wouldn’t this greatly revive our hopes and establish peace? And grant, Lord, that all the sons of Russia now calmly rest on these good desires and expectations and accept the new heir with an open heart, surrounding him with love and prayers. We prayed and pray for the deceased heir, may the Lord dwell there, “where there is no sickness, no sorrow, no sighing.” And for the new heir, the blessed sovereign Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich, let us begin to pray, may the Lord prepare for him a peaceful and prosperous reign, in which, as much as possible, there would be less illness, sorrow and sighing, if it is already impossible not to be him at all on earth - a reward for this mourning, in which we humbly accept him, the heir to the throne, and he blessedly enters into the right of succession to the throne. May the Lord send down to him from His Throne the sitting wisdom, may He work with him and show him what is acceptable before God. The king rules the kingdom. He himself is governed by the heart, which is ruled by the Lord. Let us pray that the heart of the Tsarevich will be formed in such a way that it will always be worthy of being held in the hand of God and controlled by Him. The king will sit on the throne and with his wave he will show the way for his people. Grant, Lord, that our heir will acquire such keen-sightedness that in due time he will always correctly comprehend the paths of God’s Providence and along them direct the procession of his people, for only such a procession is blessed and blessed. The king sits high, sees both his everything and everything adjacent. But there is a treasure hidden on the land of our kingdom, a treasure before which all kingdoms are nothing. Grant, Lord, to our heir to see this treasure and love it, so that in due time he may guard it like the apple of his eye, not allowing anyone to even think of comparing anything alien with it, much less think and talk about it not according to its greatness and value. Let us sanctify this day with these prayerful desires, brethren, finding reconciliation in them for the confrontation of our inner feelings, which we do not dare to indulge in all new joy, and do not find it appropriate to grieve with complete sadness, and, having given our due to everyone, let us rest in the wise providential orders for us in the Holy Trinity of our worshiped God. Amen. 15. На прощание с владимирскою паствою (Что будет впереди, кто определит? Спасайтесь о Господе!) Уже приходит к концу мое почти трехлетнее среди вас и с вами служение, и я понуждаюсь сказать вам слово-другое на прощание. I was silent for a long time. And this is the occasion when I had to break the silence. The case may be simple and ordinary for you, but for me it is very significant. What will happen ahead, who will determine? Но, обращаясь назад и проходя мыслию все от начала моего сюда прибытия до настоящего времени, преисполняюсь чувством благодарения к щедрому Благоподателю – за все Его милости, не по моему достоинству на меня излиянные. I could indicate the number of these mercies, but I cannot determine their measures. Удивил еси, Господи, щедроты Твои на мне, недостойном, преизобильною благодатию Твоею, на покаяние меня призывая. Благодарение возношу и Пречистой Владычице Богородице и святым Божиим, в сем храме почивающим и по всей епархии славимым, что щадили меня, несмотря на большие немощи мои, и молитвами своими не допускали милости Божией преложиться на гнев. I also believe that – in no small part – I am indebted to your love and prayers for such a merciful Heavenly cover. And thank you for that; I thank you for all the good things you have shown me - for your kindness, for your attention to my weak word, for your reverent standing in the church, with which I have always been consoled, for your zeal for the splendor of churches, for your readiness for every good thing. May the merciful Lord strengthen you and multiply these good dispositions in you, so that, adorned by them, you will always form a crown of praise for the Church of Christ. Don't blame me, for God's sake, for leaving you. I’m not leaving so that I’ll be forced to leave you. Your kindness would not allow me to change you to another flock. Но, как ведомый, ведусь на свободное от забот пребывание, ища и чая лучшего, как это сродно естеству нашему. How this could have formed, I don’t undertake to explain. Одно скажу, что, кроме внешнего течения событий, определяющих наши дела, есть внутренние изменения расположений, доводящие до известных решимостей, есть, кроме внешней необходимости, необходимость внутренняя, которой внемлет совесть и которой не сильно противоречить сердце. Находясь в таком положении, об одном прошу любовь вашу – оставя суждения и осуждения сделанного уже мною шага, усугубьте молитву вашу, да не отщетит Господь чаяния моего и дарует мне, хоть не без трудов, обрести искомое мною. And I will pray for you, I will pray that the Lord will always send you every good thing, improve your well-being and avert every misfortune, and above all, arrange your salvation. Save yourself and be saved in the Lord! I can't wish you anything better. Everything will happen when you are saved. The path of salvation is known to you, and the whole saving dispensation of God is known! In this regard, it is enough to remind you of the words of the Apostle Paul: “O Timothy! Keep the tradition” (1 Tim. 6:20). Preserve what the Lord and His holy Apostles have dedicated to the Church and what one generation of Christians passes on to another. I am compelled to remind you of this because today there are many false teachings circulating among us - corrupting teachings that undermine the foundations of faith, upset family happiness and destroy the well-being of the state. Beware, for the Lord's sake, from these teachings. There is a stone with which gold is tested. Let the holy teaching preached in the Church from ancient times be your testing stone. Reject everything that disagrees with this teaching as evil, no matter how plausible it may be covered with a title... You just observe this, and everything else will be added to you by itself. Purity of faith will be followed by the overshadowing of grace. Grace with faith will make your hearts holy and blameless. “But the pure in heart” begin to see God here; they will undoubtedly “see” Him there and will forever see and bliss in this vision (Matthew 5:8). Please accept this small reminder as your last testament; and I won’t burden your attention with more than that. You know everything yourself. Just be jealous to stand in the ranks of those blessed whom the Lord indicated in His word: “This is the news; but it is blessed if you do” (John 13:17). Then - sorry! Forgive me if I offended, offended, lied to anyone, or seduced anyone in any way. May the Lord God, by His grace, forgive and have mercy on all of us! And I also ask: do not forget me in your prayers. Amen. You might be interested in: